02/06 at 05:29 PM

Auburn headed into Wednesday, National Signing Day, hoping for a big finish.

Instead, the Tigers closed their recruiting efforts on a down note, missing out on all five of the big-name uncommitted prospects they’d targeted on Signing Day.

It wasn’t all bad news, of course. AU received National Letters of Intent from 28 prospects, a group Rivals.com ranked the 20th-best class in the nation.

The class fills several of AU’s most pressing needs. It includes six defensive backs, six defensive linemen, four wide receivers, three running backs and three quarterbacks.

“This has been an excellent year,” head coach Tommy Tuberville said. “We’re excited about the class we’ve signed.”

But the biggest news of the day revolved around the players Auburn was unable to sign.

The Tigers headed into Signing Day with five uncommitted prospects left on their board. AU expected to land at least two.
Instead, all five — tailback Enrique Davis, defensive end Robert Quinn, defensive back George Baker, linebacker Jerrell Harris and wideout Jarmon Fortson — went elsewhere on Signing Day. Quinn chose North Carolina, Baker signed with South Florida, Harris signed with Alabama and Fortson picked Florida State.

Davis, who signed with Ole Miss, was the biggest disappointment. The tailback signed with AU in 2007, but didn’t qualify academically and went to prep school at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia. Rivals.com rated him a five-star prospect.

He stayed committed to Auburn all last year, but changed his mind after offensive coordinator Al Borges was forced to resign. Though Davis re-opened his recruiting in January, AU remained in the running.

Davis’ Signing Day decision to sign with the Rebels cost Auburn the most highly regarded target on its board. But on balance, Tuberville said, the departures of Borges and defensive coordinator Will Muschamp — who went to Texas — didn’t hurt AU’s recruiting efforts.

New coordinators Tony Franklin and Paul Rhoads filled in well, according to Tuberville.

“Having two new coordinators, a lot of people say, ‘Did that set you back?’” Tuberville said. “It really didn’t. … I thought Paul Rhodes and Tony Franklin did a good job of helping out in the end.”

Franklin brought in junior-college quarterback Chris Todd, one of four signees already enrolled at AU. Todd is expected to compete for the starting quarterback job in spring practice.

The arrival of Franklin’s spread offense also helped AU recruit offensive playmakers. This year’s signing class includes several speedsters, like Fort Lauderdale, Fla., wideout Philip Pierre-Louis and Daphne tailback Reggie Hunt.

“(Speed) is a lot of what this offense is about,” Tuberville said. “It’s about getting the ball to a wide receiver in short passes and making somebody miss.”

Rhoads, meanwhile, helped AU hang onto most of its defensive commitments after Muschamp’s departure. The Tigers signed 14 defensive players, including Central cornerback D’Antoine Hood.

The 2008 class’ early impact could come at wide receiver, defensive line and cornerback, all of which are likely to be major needs for AU next season. Tuberville mentioned Pierre-Louis, junior-college defensive end Raven Gray and Huntsville defensive end Jomarcus Savage among several candidates for early playing time.

But Tuberville was at pains to emphasize that the class shouldn’t be judged on how it produces in 2008.

“I think this group can help win championships and can be a great group at the end of their fourth or fifth year,” he said. “That’s the thing that I look for.

“I look at recruiting in terms of, are guys going to be with us three or four years, not one or two years.”

The 28-man class features 13 offensive players, 14 defenders and deep-snapper Dax Dellenbach. After snagging five offensive linemen last year, AU picked up just one: prep-school tackle Jermaine Johnson, a teammate of Davis’ at Hargrave.

How many of the 28 signees will arrive on campus in time for this fall isn’t clear.

At least two signees — Enterprise tight end Ken Adams and Fort Meade, Fla., tailback Onterrio McCalebb — aren’t expected to qualify academically.

Several others could be academic casualties, thanks in part to a change in the NCAA rules, which now require high school prospects to pass 16 core classes — up from 14 — to qualify academically.

“We are going to have four or five of these that are going to go to junior college or prep school,” Tuberville said. “You have to do that.

“There isn’t anybody on the list, or anybody’s list, who is (already) qualified.”

Two other players who verbally committed to Auburn — wideout Damion Allen and athlete Brandon Smith — didn’t officially sign with the Tigers on Wednesday. Allen is already enrolled at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson, Miss., while Smith is expected to enroll at a junior college in June.

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